Anomalous dissipation in the mixed state of underdoped cuprates close to the superconductor-insulator boundary

We present a comparative study of Nernst effect and resistivity in underdoped samples of Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CuO$_{6+\delta}$ and La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_4$. The Nernst effect presents a peak in a region of the H-T diagram where resistivity shows a non-metallic temperature dependence. Our results illustrate that the mechanism of dissipation in the mixed state of underdoped cuprates is poorly understood. Large quantum superconducting fluctuations and vanishing vortex viscosity are among suggested explanations for an enhanced Nernst signal close to the superconductor-insulator boundary.